The antibiotics currently used to treat Lyme disease are broad-spectrum, damage the microbiome, and select for resistance in non-target bacteria. A screen of soil micro-organisms revealed a compound (Hygromycin A) highly selective against spirochetes, including Borrelia burgdorferi (the causative agent of Lyme disease). The mechanism of selectivity is puzzling because hygromycin A targets the ribosome. Hygromycin A is smuggled into spirochetes by the conserved transporter BmpDEFG, explaining its selectivity. Hygromycin A cleared the B. burgdorferi infection in mice, including animals that ingested the compound in a bait, and was less disruptive to the fecal microbiome than clinically relevant antibiotics.
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